Where Love and Hate Abounds
by KagomeRulez
Summary: Sesshomaru returns home to his rule of the eastern lands, but things have gotten more complicated in his absence, especially with Rin now accompanying him.
1. Chapter 1: Home Again and Already Busy

[YAY! Another sesshy fic! Well, I'll get started fast, but here are the Japanese glossary references: Nahon- Japan Youkai- demon]  
  
Sesshomaru stepped into the great hall, hearing the small gasp elicited from Rin, a smirk tugged at his mouth. It had been at least a year since he had last entered the corridors of his own palace. Jaken seemed almost excited about returning to the endlessly uneventful court life. The steward was in a drunken slumber at the foot of the steps, he wouldn't live to regret that. Sesshomaru directed Jaken to check how the servants had dealt with affairs of state in his absence. The usual "Yes m'lord!" came from Jaken as he scurried to his favorite pastime of tormenting the stewards.  
Sesshomaru took a seat on his throne and waited for the procession of servants to give their reports under the scrutiny of the head of staff. The plump old woman ushered the entourage in front of the throne to the 'ooo' 'aaahhh' amazement of Rin. She'd obviously never seen such finery amongst mere servants before.  
"Sire?" the woman bowed respectfully before Sesshomaru. "There has been few problems since your departure, however, there are a number of youkai families seeking an audience of alliance with you." Sesshomaru frowned, he'd not accepted an audience like that since his father's death, and he was in a mood for some entertainment...  
"Alright, send the first one in." He sighed finally, and noted the sly grin that inched across the old woman's plump face. She nodded and left immediately to send word, leaving Sesshomaru to inspect the servants. It seemed an age since he'd performed such a menial and useless task. There were a few lazy servants who'd gotten fat and rich off of his absence, but they were quickly sent away to be executed silently. It was odd to think that he used to do the task himself right here, but something had changed... oh, yes, Rin of course. That wasn't the only thing that stayed his hand though. For some reason his affinity toward killing, even his apathy and cynicism, had lessened of late. Was Rin the source of all that? No, he had to admit, at least to himself, that his brother had also influenced this change in him. The half-breed's increase in strength, as well as new found weaknesses had added to his understanding.  
"The daughters of Oka of the province of Uchi are readying themselves m'lord." Her wrinkled face turned up in a knowing smile, pretending to take a position of waiting by Sesshomaru's throne.  
"Enough games Aika! Tell me what is important to know about these guests." Sesshomaru disliked it when Aika tested his memory of tradition, even if she had been the one to teach him it.  
"Well... Oka is a youkai who brakes with tradition by trading with other lands, but he refuses to sell what he gets and has hoards of treasures stashed away. The eldest daughter is a sly one trained by the mother and nearly an exact copy of her. The second eldest has more wit than anything else and may seem the charmer, but she's supposedly the secondary thorn in her father's side. The main one would be the second youngest daughter, she's supposedly rash and disobedient to every instruction given her, not to mention her reputation as the most unseemly youkai lady in Nahon. Then there's the youngest... What can be said? The girl lives to be married off, she's completely subordinate to whatever command is given her... Oh! I almost forgot to warn you, the mother is a witch, she'll not take rejection well." Aika took a breath after the long explanation, but Sesshomaru knew she was purposefully leaving something out.  
"She's a spell caster?" He queried, knowing Aika wouldn't be stupid enough to allow one before him.  
"Oh, no... I meant it with a different emphasis." She smirked again before retreating to the shadows of the great hall to watch what she was sure was going to be an interesting show. 


	2. Chapter 2: The Daughters of Fuyu

The procession of youkai females entering the great hall, Sesshomaru noted, remained at four, not the original five. All of them wore thick layers of make-up and VERY rich kimonos, but the old-looking one, presumably the mother, bore a nervous air and kept glancing behind her at the door they'd just passed through. She took her place in front of her daughters, ridding herself of the nervousness and assuming a haughty, arrogant, yet honoring expression. She presumed too much of him! "I present, my lord," Aika bellowed, as if announcing to a room full of chattering people. "The Lady Fuyu" The mother bowed, making it barely low enough to be courteous. "Her eldest daughter, Sumui" The woman bowed, slightly lower but with the same air of importance as the mother. "Her next eldest, Yoru" Aika had been right, the girl flaunted her beauty, glancing to see if her charms had any effect. "And... Her youngest, Yuki" Aika paused, readied to stop if Sesshomaru interrupted, but he remained silent, allowing her to continue. "Where is your other daughter?"  
"Oh... well, you see, Shikyo is... indisposed at the moment, and-" Fuyu was angrily interrupted Aika  
"Business more important than a meeting with the great Lord Sesshomaru?" Aika squeaked, mimicking anger. She played a dangerous game, patronizing a woman like that.  
"Actually, I was not informed there was to be an audience of alliance, let alone with such a legendary inu-youkai." A young woman strode across the marble floor, her wooden walking sandals clacking against the floor. She wore a damaged and dirty hunting kimono, blood spattered in various places. She looked very different from the rest of her brown-haired family. She had sharp, feminine, yet predatory feature, her dark black hair lay across her shoulders where it had escaped from the tie that held her long locks behind her. Her sea-foam blue eyes shone with calculating precision and repressed rage.  
A mixture of fear, anxiety, jealousy, and curiosity crossed the faces of her family as Shikyo came to present a low bow before Sesshomaru's throne. Aika seemed endlessly pleased with herself, could this have been what she'd not mentioned? That the second youngest daughter was left out of ceremony?  
"How dare you presume you were wanted here!" Fuyu erupted, Sumui glaring at her sister from her mother's side.  
"Wanted here? I didn't know you yet finished your plan to place a daughter of yours on a throne, by my counting this is still the palace of Lord Sesshomaru, or do you count it yours because you have his poison already mixed?" Shikyo spat, venom in her voice. Fuyu appeared extremely flustered, and raised an hand to strike her disobedient daughter, but was intercepted by Shikyo, who snarled. "I am not some child expected to worship the ground you walk on mother, nor will I be partisan to your petty schemes any longer!" Shikyo whirled away from a flustered Fuyu and swept toward the door in one graceful movement.  
"That's it! I denounce you! Y-You filthy child!" Fuyu screeched, her eyes taking on a pinkish hue and her face beginning to narrow.  
"Ha! You think I care?" Shikyo growled. "And don't think you could challenge me, mother. You never were much of a fighter. With all my lazy blood I'm surprised I can so much as lift a claw, but I guess that comes from father." She sneered. A smirk lifting her expression at the sight f her mother's control loosening.  
"That's it! You insolent whelp! I'd rather you dead than suffer the dishonor of sharing blood with you!" Fuyu was on the brink now. She was very close to assuming her true form, and attacking her daughter.  
"Enough!" Sesshomaru didn't need to shout too loud, considering it was the first time he'd spoken throughout the entire interview. Fuyu straightened her robes and assumed a deadly pose of hatred directed at Shikyo.  
  
[ummm... here are some of the name and word translations: Shikyo: death Fuyu: winter Yoru: night Sumui: cold Yuki: snow Oka: hate dog (ironic, eh?) inu: dog (ka is also dog) Well... lets take a vote, if you want there to be more 'audiences' or will we get into the war problem (it IS the warring states era) oh, or should the council of his allies demand he take a mate and produce an heir? Well, YOU choose, I'm horrible at making decisions... or make your own suggestion] 


	3. Chapter 3: Preparations

"Hey, monkey girl!" The youkai lady motioned for Rin to come forward, and the little girl complied.

"Yes, Lady Shikyo?" The girl innocently took no insult at the name, having learned over the past week that it was often born in affection. The youkai lady examined the child, straightening a hem here or there, adjusting her oba a little. The folds of elaborate and very expensive silk made Rin look more like a sprite than a human, but Shikyo supposed that was probably best considering the crowd that was being entertained that evening.

Roughly pushing the girl off towards the hall's inhabitant entrance, she turned to her own appearance. She didn't want to wear too much make-up, or look too good for two main reasons. One being that the gossipy court ladies would assume she was trying to seduce Sesshomaru, and the other being that she just hated wearing make-up. On the other hand, if she wore too little there was always the chance she looked smug or ungrateful. All the court protocol made her want to do was vomit… Right on Lady Ichijo's kimono…

Shikyo smiled, laughing good-humoredly at that appetizing thought. Straightening a rumple in her skirts she examined her reflection. The golden designs of waves and ships matched her golden hair-broach, and left a wonderful contrast to its sapphire background. The sparkle in her skin, developed from nights of moon-hunting, was brought out by the natural accents of what little make-up she wore. The hair-style was designed to soften her wild features, which had lured many a wild youkai, but was thought 'unladylike' by many lords of the court.

_Enough primping! One would think you wanted to impress someone!_ She thought to herself, adding a note of mental scolding for being so meticulous. _All he did was grant you sanctuary!_ With that final note, and a slight blush which she thanked the heavens the make-up hid, she strode out into the great hall, where the earlier guests were already beginning to mill about.

In the past week he'd had enough court life and women trying to seduce him that he was sure he was going to be sick. _The humans may be onto something with theirs vows of chastity…_ He mentally muttered, walking up and down the carpet of his private chambers in what was the first outward display of nervousness he'd shown in years. His indifferent and offhanded way of dealing with everything was beginning to give under various pressures. The **endless** questions about Rin were enough to drive him mad, but he also had to deal with the ball/meeting this evening, the damnable court ladies who had the most outrageous ideas about how to woo him, and Shikyo…

Ever since her mother threatened to have the guards gut her if she showed her face in public again, Shikyo had been under his parlay of sanctuary, and there was no youkai lord or lady on the islands who would dare attempt to harm someone under _his_ sanctuary. The Lady Shikyo had done seemingly everything in her power to break every court protocol she knew of whenever she was in his presence, and to Sesshomaru's livid exasperation, he enjoyed her antics. What, by the dictate of nearly every court code, should anger him, he reveled in. Not to mention her confusing behavior about Rin. Most court ladies made snide and dirty comments about the girl to each other in her presence, but Shikyo teased to an almost cruel level, simply having the nerve to address the girl. And yet Rin showed a confounding affinity for the youkai female, that Sesshomaru had signed off to some feminine matter he merely couldn't see.

His mind reeled to a screeching halt as he forcefully removed his mind from that subject. He had already applied far too much energy to _that_ particular guest. Now for the other hundred or so lords and ladies who were to arrive that night…

He had already hand-selected the kitchen staff (Aika had informed him that twelve prominent youkai had been poisoned within the last year). The chamber for discussion had been set aside and readied, and the guest list had already been checked twice. Not that uninvited guest didn't arrive anyway, he had also accounted for that in food. All that was left was preparing himself mentally for the bombardment that faced him. Those who avoided sensitive subjects even when they're necessary, those who are too blunt once they've had too much sake, those who get in arguments, and those who (he shuddered) flirted shamelessly. These were the ones he had to prepare himself for, and he was quite sure as he opened to door to the great hall that some others would come to mind by the time the evening was done.

((AN what do you think? I changed the format a little to help myself get used to this, considering it's the form most ppl on this site use. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated, please R&R))


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